Lost and Found
by PCGirl
Summary: Story Complete. This follows 'An Unexpected Enemy'. Rafe's world is turned upside down--can he find his way back to what he's lost, but hold on to what he had?
1. A Slayer's Intuition

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in this story, except for Angel and Eddie. All others are property of ABC Disney.  
  
Author's Note: This is a non-traditional Rafe/Alison story. I won't say anymore than that because I don't want to give away the story. Please tell me what you think.  
  
Rafe looked over and smiled at his wife. They'd been married 6 years now, and had two beautiful children. Angel was 5 and Eddie was almost 2. Eddie looked exactly like his mother, while Angel was her father. He had to laugh when he thought about the day they brought Eddie home from the hospital. Angel had drawn a picture, and the house had been decorated for his arrival. Alison's pregnancy was easy going with him. She never had any difficulty like she did with Angel.  
  
"What are you thinking?" she asked, realizing he had drifted off into space while sitting on the couch.  
  
"I was thinking of how lucky I am. I've got you, Angel, and Eddie. There's nothing more I could ask for," smiling at her as he leaned in for a kiss. The moment was short lived as their little boy came wobbling over to the couch. His big blue eyes staring up at them and giving them that silly grin. That was the one thing that was the same with them, they both had Alison's blue eyes.  
  
"Hello there, my little man," Alison said leaning over and picking him up. "I bet you're getting hungry." She got up and went into the kitchen to make him some dinner.  
  
"Angel, what do you want for dinner?" she yelled from the kitchen. Right as she yelled that she heard the patter of little feet running and soon saw her sandy blonde daughter come around the corner.  
  
"I want pizza!"  
  
"No, you are not getting pizza tonight. We have Danny's birthday party tomorrow, and I'm sure they'll have pizza there. I can make you some chicken and rice. How's that?"  
  
"I guess so," she said, with a pouty face as she went back to her room.  
  
Rafe laughed, he couldn't get over how wonderful a mother she was. "What time is the party? I forgot about it."  
  
"7 o'clock." She knew the look on his face, he had promised someone else something at that time. "I knew you were going to do this. I knew you'd forget and promise something else."  
  
"I will be there as soon as I can. One of the guys asked me the other day if I was willing to work a little overtime, and I told him yes. I should be getting off work at 7:30 or so. Are you upset with me?" as he walked over to the kitchen and stood over her.  
  
She couldn't help but smile. He always had a way to make her not be upset at him anymore. "No, I can never be upset at you, Rafe Kovich," as she laid her head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat.  
  
-------------  
  
"We're here," Alison said as she walked into Lucy's house holding Eddie in her arms and Angel by the hand.  
  
"Hey cuties," Lucy said, taking Eddie out of his mom's arms and giving him a big hug. "Where's Rafe at?"  
  
"He forgot about the party, he'll be here in about 45 minutes," she said setting down her purse and presents by the door. She then realized she had left the camera at the house. "Lucy, I left the camera at the house."  
  
"It's ok, just get copies of the pictures from our camera," Lucy said walking back in from the play room.  
  
"I have a roll almost used up though, I'll just be a few minutes," she said, picking up her purse to run back to the house real quick. As she was walking out the door Angel and Eddie ran up to her "Mommy! Mommy!"  
  
She squatted down to their height, "I'll be right back. I have to go back to the house for something. I love you two," she said giving them each a big hug and a kiss before closing the door behind her.  
  
As Lucy saw the door close she got a bad feeling. She ran over to the door to tell Alison not to go, but already saw her backing out of the driveway.  
  
----------------  
  
Lucy looked at the clock again, it was now 7:30. Where was Alison she thought? Why hadn't she gotten back from the house? They only lived five minutes apart. It shouldn't take her this long to get back. Something was wrong, she could feel it.  
  
Ian walked up behind her, "It's going to be ok, Lucy. She probably just got to the house and remembered something else." He had just said those words when the phone rang. She looked at Ian, daring him to answer the phone.  
  
"Hello, Thornhart residence," he said, thinking it was probably Alison saying she was on the way back.  
  
"Ian, it's Jamal. Is Lucy there?"  
  
"Sure, just a minute," he said handing her the phone and saying Jamal's name quietly.  
  
"Hey Jamal," she said, breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn't bad news.  
  
"Lucy, is Rafe there?"  
  
"No, he's supposed to be here in a few minutes though. Why do you ask?"  
  
"I don't know how to tell you this, Lucy. Jack and I are on the side of the road right now. There's been an accident."  
  
"Alison-." Ian turned around to see the color drain from her face and her start to fall to the floor. Running he was able to grab her before she got hurt. He picked up the phone, "Jamal, are you still there?"  
  
"Yeah, I was just about to tell Lucy that Alison was in a wreck. It's not good, we're going to go get Rafe at work and meet you at the hospital," Jamal said as he hung up the phone.  
  
Ian was redialing the phone when Reese walked in from the playroom. "Was that Jack on the phone?" she asked before noticing the look on Lucy and Ian's faces.  
  
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	2. Praying for a Miracle

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in this story, except for Angel and Eddie. All others are property of ABC Disney.  
  
Rafe looked over at the clock on his desk. It said 8 o'clock. He told Alison he'd be over at Lucy's for the party no later than 7:45. When was the other guy going to get here to relieve him? He'd try to call Alison's cell phone again. No answer. She must have left it in the car, she did that sometimes. He leaned back in the chair, wondering what was taking so long when he heard the door to the office open.  
  
"Took you long enough, I found out I had to be somewhere at 7." He said, expecting it to be his relief. Turning around he saw Jack and Jamal standing there. "Hey guys. What's up? I thought you two would be at the party by now."  
  
"Rafe, there's been an accident," Jack said, scared he was going to crack. Him and Jamal had been on the way to the party, running a little late after dealing with a slow customer at the bike shop. They had seen the ambulance, police, and fire truck on the side of the road near the gully. They decided to see if they needed any help. They walked to the edge and looked down to see Alison's car in the ravine. The police at first wanted them to leave, but Jack said that was his sister-in-law and they told them what happened. The kids weren't in the car. He guessed she'd already dropped them off at Lucy's. Alison was still alive, but they said it didn't look good.  
  
Jamal looked over and saw Jack was starting to turn pale again. He spoke up, "Alison was in the car by herself. It's not good, so we'll tell you the rest on the ride there."  
  
--------  
  
Rafe walked into the ICU waiting room. Lucy, Ian, Elizabeth, and Reese were already there, having headed over together from the party. He didn't understand how this happened. She was usually such a safe driver. Lucy came up and gave him a hug and started talking, but he didn't hear anything she said. He saw Jack walk over to Reese and hold her. What did it matter to him, he wasn't going to lose his soul mate. They sat down for a few minutes until the doctor walked in. He asked for Rafe to talk to him outside.  
  
"Mr. Kovich, I'm sorry but it doesn't look good. She's had massive head injuries, and damage to some organs. If she makes it through the night it will be a miracle."  
  
Miracle he thought, they'd been through those before. They almost lost Angel too, but they proved the doctor's wrong then. Maybe they'd prove the doctor's wrong again. "Can I go in and see her?"  
  
"Yes, you can. I just want to let you know she probably can't hear anything you say to her. I'll be back by in a little bit to talk to you some more."  
  
----------------  
He walked into the room. It was cold, why was it so cold in these places he wondered. She was lying in the bed. It just looked like she was sleeping. He walked over and kissed her on the forehead, like he always did when trying to get her to wake up. It didn't work this time. He sat on the edge of the bed, with tear in his eyes,  
  
"I'm sorry Angel. I'm sorry I wasn't there. Why couldn't I have been there when you needed me? All you were doing was running back to the house to grab a camera. Why did you need that camera? We could have always gotten copies from Ian's pictures. I don't want to lose you. I want Dad to give us another miracle. Remember when he gave us the miracle of Angel?  
  
"She's going to need her mother, I can't tell her why boys are the way they are. I can't help her put on makeup when she's older, or help her pick out dresses for the dances she'll get to go to. "What about Eddie? He needs you too. He needs you to tell him to not be scared to tell his first crush he likes her.  
  
"I want to grow old with you. I want to get to see your face at the church when I walk Angel down the aisle."  
  
"Mr. Kovich?" he heard, turning around to see the nurse.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"We need to take your wife for some tests."  
  
"Ok, will you let me know when she's back?"  
  
"Yes sir. Will you be in the waiting room?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
------------------  
  
He walked back into the waiting room. Nobody said anything to him, just let him walk over to a chair in the corner and sit down. "You guys can say something, it won't bother me." He said, looking up from the floor, his hands folded behind his head and his elbows resting on his knees.  
  
"You know we'll always be here for you, right man?" Jamal asked, walking over and sitting next to him.  
  
"Yeah, but right now I want a miracle. I want the doctor to walk into this room and tell me she's awake and talking. I can't raise those two kids on my own, they need their mother."  
  
"They have Elizabeth, Reese, and me," Lucy said, holding onto Ian's hand so hard in order not to cry.  
  
"Where are Angel and Eddie anyways?" he asked, just realizing that both Ian and Lucy were here.  
  
"Victor and Mary came and picked them up with Daniel and Christina. They were going to take them over to the house for what they think is part of the party. Mary said they can stay with her for as long as you need."  
  
"Thanks Luce. I know you are all here out of friendship and not pity. I just wish I could have done something different. Something to change fate."  
  
"I said those same words, Rafe. I thought that I could have prevented Eve's death in some way. Truth is, if I had been in that car Daniel would be an orphan now," Ian said, remembering having to say goodbye to Eve.  
  
They talked off and on for a few more hours. Eventually Jack and Reese went home, and Ian and Lucy said they'd be back first thing in the morning. Jamal offered to stay at the hospital for a little while, and they ended up stretching out in some chairs in the waiting room. 


	3. Saying Goodbye to an Angel

Disclaimer: I do not believe I own any characters in this story other than Angel and Eddie, which are my own creation. The other characters are property of ABC/Disney I do not believe I use the song listed in this chapter either-it is property of Travis Tritt.

Author's Note: Before you read this chapter I would suggest you get some Kleenex. The song I have listed is Travis Tritt's 'Tell me I was dreaming'. If you have the song on your computer or CD, why not play it in the background when you see the lyrics-it makes the scenes much more real. Anyways-tell me what you think when you get done reading.

---

Jamal walked into Alison's room. They had realized she wasn't going to get a miracle, and had started to say goodbyes. Rafe had warned him that she looked bad, but just act like she was sleeping.

"Hey Spunky!" he said, walking up next to the bed. "I just wanted to let you know that it's going to be ok. Jack and I are going to help Rafe out with raising the kids. We're going to keep up the trips to the park on Wednesday afternoons. They will miss you, but we promise to let them know how you were in life. I guess on a good note, I'm going to have my own Angel watching over me up there. I'll try to behave." He started to tear up, as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Love you, Spunky," he was able to whisper out, as Rafe walked into the room.

"What else is there to do now?" Jamal asked, walking over to the door.

"I don't think I can do it Jamal. I don't think I can tell her goodbye. The kids need her, I need her. What if something happens and I don't know what to do?" He said, starting to tear up.

"If you get worried, remember that Elizabeth and Lucy are always there. And Jack, Reese and I are always there too. I'm going to go back to the apartment now. Call me if you need anything."

"Thanks man," he said as Jamal left. He knew Alison had always wanted to be an organ donor. The only organ's that they could use after the crash would be her eyes. He wondered if he saw the person who got them walking down the street if he'd notice. She had such beautiful eyes, they were this vibrant blue that danced when she laughed.

"Angel, I kept praying for a miracle. I guess I'm not getting one this time. Tell Dad that I don't blame him at all. I know that sometimes you get what you wish for, and other times you don't. It'll be hard to explain to the kids where you went to, but maybe one day they will understand. Maybe one day I will understand why you had to go too. Wherever I am, I will know you are looking down on me and loving me still."

"Mr. Kovich, we need to be heading over to the operating room," a nurse said, interrupting his speech.

"Please give me a few more minutes," he said, upset that he was being rushed into saying goodbye. "I guess this is it, goodbye. Not permanently, just temporarily, right? I love you, my Angel, my soul mate." He said as he brushed her hair off of her face and kissed her forehead.

--------

When I woke up this morning

Wiped the sleep from my eyes

He walked out of the room, and back into the waiting room where Lucy and Elizabeth were. He looked at them and fell into the floor. "Why? Why did he have to take her away from me? Why was I given a second chance when I only got a few years to be with her?"

Found a new day dawning

And suddenly I realize

He didn't remember much of the day, just that Lucy brought him back to the house and gave him some medicine. The doctor had said that it would help calm him and let him sleep. It did help him sleep but not well. He did remember waking up a few times yelling Alison's name, and then crying himself back to sleep at the realization that she was gone.

You're gone ----------------

Tell me I was dreaming

That you didn't leave me here to cry

Lucy stood there, staring at herself in the mirror. She hated this, having to say goodbye to a wonderful person like Alison. Ian came walking in, his suit already on. He walked up behind her and giving her a hug, "Are you going to be ok?" he asked pulling back and looking in her eyes.

"I have to be. I have to be strong for Rafe and the kids. Those two little bundles of joy," she said, starting to cry. "They are never going to get to know their mother."

You didn't say you don't love me anymore

And it was just my imagination telling lies

"Yes, but they will get to hear about her their whole life, and doesn't that amount to something?" Ian said, trying to get to her to not cry before the funeral.

"I guess so," she said, drying her eyes. Ian took her hand, kissed it, and then they left to meet everyone at the church.

Tell me that you didn't say goodbye

-----------------

Caleb picked up the paper and opened it up. He read the story once, and then read it again, making sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. The story stayed the same:

Funeral for Barrington Heiress Today

The funeral for Alison Rose Barrington Kovich will be held today at 11  
AM in First United Church. Mrs. Kovich, 30, died on Saturday after  
having severe injuries from a car wreck the day before. She leaves  
behind her husband, Rafe Kovich, a daughter, Angel Rose Kovich, 5, a  
son Edward Samuel Kovich, 21 months, her mother Elizabeth Barrington,  
a sister Reese Black Ramsey and brother-in-law Jack Ramsey, her  
grandmother Amanda Barrington, and many wonderful friends. She was  
preceded in death by her father Malcolm Roger Barrington.

Caleb was still holding the paper when Livvie walked in and gave him a hug around the neck, "Good morning, Caleb." Her eyes wandered to what he had just read. He could feel her grip on his neck loosen as the realization of the words on the page hit her. Looking up he saw a deep sadness in her eyes.

I'm in a state of confusion

I hope things aren't what they seem

"Hey, come here," he said getting her to sit next to him. "I know it's a shock, and I'm sorry it had to happen to Alison," he said. She stretched out on the couch, with her head in Caleb's lap as he ran his fingers through her hair, trying to come up with something else to say.

If this is really happening

Just let me go back to dream

You're home

She just laid there for awhile, not yet crying but not wanting to face the day either. She looked up at Caleb, with his blue eyes focused on her, and understanding the pain she was facing right now. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and said, "Do what you have to do, Olivia." With that comment she got up off the couch, and silently walked out of the room.

---------------

Jack walked over to the bed and grabbed his suit jacket. He laughed, remembering when he bought this. Alison had him act like her rich and snotty boyfriend Chandler for her family. He sat on the bed, holding the jacket. His eyes started to tear up again when Reese walked in.

Tell me I was dreaming

That you didn't leave me here to cry

"Hey Jack," she said sitting down next to him. "I thought I heard you laughing a second ago."  
"Yeah, I was thinking about when Alison had me buy this suit."

"Really? You want to tell me about it?"

"She wanted her family to think she was dating a rich snob instead of Jamal. So I dressed up in this suit, and acted like my name was Chandler."

You didn't say you don't love me anymore

And it was just my imagination telling lies

She had to laugh, thinking of her husband trying to act like a Barrington. They looked up to see Jamal walking into the room.

"Hey man," Jack said as he got up and gave Jamal a hug. "How are you doing?"

"It's hard. I'm going to miss her so much."

"Yeah, we all are. I was just telling Reese about me playing the role of Chandler."

Jamal cracked a smile, remembering the good times. They looked at each other in an awkward silence, and then headed out the door to say goodbye to a great friend.

Tell me that you didn't say goodbye ------------

Rafe walked into the church. He saw the casket at the front, draped with pink roses. He walked up to the front pew and sat next to Amanda, Elizabeth, Reese, and Jack. He had decided the night before he wanted to say a few words. When his time came he walked up to the front, gave a loud sigh, and started,

Tell me I was dreaming

That you didn't leave me here to cry

"Alison wouldn't want us to be crying. If she saw us crying right now, she'd be crying too. I want to think though that she is up there, with Karen and Eve, smiling and watching over us. That's what we need to remember, she'll be watching over us from now on. So whenever something happens, and you start to think 'I wish Alison could see this.' you don't have to wish, because she is watching.

You didn't say you don't love me anymore

And it was just my imagination telling lies

"Next I want to talk about our children. I can't raise them all by myself, and can't tell them everything about their mother. So, if you have the urge one day to take them out for ice cream and talk about their mother, please do. Tell them over and over if you feel like. Let them know how she was, how she was stubborn, and unselfish. Tell them how she would have helped every person on Earth if she could have. Most of all though, tell them how much she loved them."

Tell me that you didn't say goodbye

-----------

It was after everyone had left the cemetery when she walked over to the grave. She knelt down to the barren dirt that now covered the casket. Running her fingers through the dirt her eyes started to fill with tears. She tried to keep them back, but couldn't help it. She had always hoped their friendship could somehow be reborn again. Alison's friendship had always meant so much to her, and now she was gone. She had wanted to say something years ago at the wedding, but felt it wasn't the right time.

"Hey Alison," she said, unable to hold back the tears any longer, "I'm sorry for all I put you through, and all I put Rafe through too. I hope you can find it in your heart up there to say you forgive me. I'm glad you did have happiness in the past few years. I just wish I could have been around to share it with you. Maybe our lives will cross again somehow," She sat up and brushed the dirt off of her hands. With her arms crossed she felt him come up behind her.

"I figured this is where you went to," Caleb said, moving her hair behind her shoulder.

"I just felt like I had to do this. I know if I didn't come here today, I would never get the courage to come here."

"Do you feel any better now?"

"Yeah, I do actually," she said, as they turned around he grabbed her by the waist, holding her a little tighter than he had ever before.

---------------

That night Rafe was able to fall asleep easier than he had in the past few days. In his dream he was standing in their barn when he saw her.

"Angel, I miss you," he said, walking up to her and kissing her.

"I miss you too, but I'll see you again. You have to raise our kids now. Don't worry about me not being there. When Angel walks down the aisle I'll be there. And when Eddie has his first crush, the words coming out of your mouth will be mine too. Wherever you, or Angel, or Eddie go I will be in your heart. I love you, Rafe Kovich, and I always will," she said, giving him one last kiss and disappearing in front of him. He opened his eyes and could still feel her kiss on his lips.

--------------

Rafe was sitting at the kitchen table with Angel and Eddie. It had been a week since their mother died. He hadn't been able to explain to them completely where she was, but Angel hadn't asked anyways.

"Daddy, I know where mommy is," she said.

"And where is that?" he wondered what was about to come out of her mouth.

"She came and talked to me last night. She told me she was going to stay with Grandpa Ed and that whenever I needed her to give a big hug to my blankie and she'd be right there with me. She also told me she'll always love me."

Rafe had to put down his fork, and marvel at his little girl. Before the organ transplant he had wondered if he'd notice the person that had Alison eyes. He didn't have to wonder anymore, because he knew that whenever he wanted to see her eyes all he had to do was look at Angel and Eddie. He realized then that maybe they'd be ok on their own after all. 


	4. Let it Snow

Disclaimer: I do not believe I own any characters in this story other than Angel, Eddie, and Jesse, which are my own creation. The other characters are property of ABC/Disney.  
  
Rafe stared outside at the falling snow. It had been snowing for what seemed like hours now. He remembered his and Alison's first Christmas together, it was Lucy and Kevin's wedding. Wow, that seemed like ages ago. It'd been over two years since she'd passed. Every now and then he thought he could feel her touch, or he'd smell her perfume around the house.  
  
Everyone was urging him to move on, to find someone to help raise the kids. He knew that it would be hard to do, he was so scared she'd be upset with him. He remembered one of the last things she said to him though, 'I can never be upset with you, Rafe Kovich', and smiled. He also knew that she wanted from the beginning to get a second chance at life. Now that meant raising their two children, and getting to see them experience things for the first time.  
  
He heard the car pull up and he opened the front door. In came a very bundled up Reese. "Sorry I'm late. I wanted to be safe on the road. Where are the kids?" She said, hanging up her coat. Soon she heard the running of feet.  
  
"Aunt Reese! Aunt Reese!" Yelled Angel and Eddie.  
  
"I shouldn't be too long, just need to pick up a few extra things at the stores for Christmas." Rafe said, giving the kids big hugs and heading out the door.  
  
Reese locked the door, and turned around to see two big faces staring back at her. She squatted down to their height, "So what do you two want for dinner?"  
  
"Spaghetti!" said Eddie, though it didn't come out quiet that clear.  
  
"Alright, spaghetti it is. Afterwards we can all watch a movie, how does that sound?" she asked, walking over to the kitchen.  
  
"Yeah!" they both said in unison.  
  
---------------------------  
  
Wow it's busy, he thought to himself as he brushed through the crowded mall. He had decided to buy an extra present for the kids. He had got a coloring set for Angel, and a new set of toy cars for Eddie. That was it, he was all done shopping. He paused for a second in front of the jewelry store. There was a dazzling set of earrings in the window. Too bad he didn't have anyone to get that for. His thoughts were halted though as another customer ran into him.  
  
"Oh, excuse me," said the red head, picking up the package she dropped.  
  
"Probably was my fault. I had just stopped to look in the window."  
  
"Those are very pretty. You should buy them for your wife," she said noticing he had a wedding band on.  
  
"Oh, I'm a widower, though my wife would have loved those."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry about that. I'm so rude, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Jesse, Jesse Locke."  
  
Hearing the last name Locke made his mind jump straight to Livvie. "You don't happen to have a relative named Livvie, do you?"  
  
"No, I don't."  
  
"Be glad," he said, grinning to himself. "And my name is Rafe Kovich. So are you done with your shopping now?"  
  
"Yes, pretty much. Would you like to sit and get a cup of coffee?" she asked, already noticing how nice his smile was.  
  
"I would enjoy that, but I need to get back to the house. I left my children with my sister-in-law, and I don't want her driving once the snow gets bad. I hope to see you around though."  
  
"Same here," she thought to herself, same here.  
  
----------------------  
  
He pulled in the driveway, the snow had let up a bit thankfully. He saw the kids bedroom lights were off, meaning they were either already asleep or Reese had them watch a movie earlier and they had fallen asleep on the couch.  
  
He walked into the house seeing the television on. Angel was curled up on one side of Reese, and Eddie was on the other with Reese was somewhat asleep already. He came over and tapped her on the shoulder, waking her up.  
  
"How were they?" he whispered.  
  
"They were angels," she laughed sitting up, "You want me to help you get them to bed?"  
  
"No, it's ok. I'm used to it. Did they eat a good dinner?"  
  
"Yeah, they ate fine. How are the roads out there?"  
  
"They are still clear. You can stay the night if you want though."  
  
"No, I better get back to Jack and Maxie," she said. Reese had found out about a month after Alison's funeral that she was pregnant. Alison had always joked about seeing her sister as a mother. It was too bad she wasn't here to see it, Reese was pretty good.  
  
"Ok, Goodnight. Call and let me know you got home safe," he said, locking the door behind him.  
  
He walked over to see his two children still asleep on the couch. He picked up Angel and took her to her room first. He tucked her into the bed, making sure her blankie was nearby. He then got Eddie and took him to his room. He made sure the monitor was turned on, and then headed on down the hall to his bed.  
  
----------  
  
He had just dropped the kids off at Lucy's when he realized he had forgotten to get Maxie a Christmas present. He decided that he would take an extended lunch break and head over to fight mall traffic again. Today was Wednesday, that meant Jack and Jamal would take Angel and Eddie to the park around 2 also.  
  
Work seemed to drag on for the morning. Finally he looked at the clock and it said 11:30. He figured he'd be back here by 1:30, 2 at the latest.  
  
The mall wasn't as packed as it had been the night before. He went into one of the stores, and his eye was drawn to a blanket. It was pink, and had an appliquéd rose on it. He thought for a second, and decided that was it.  
  
Now he was done, so he decided to go sit down in the food court. He hadn't been sitting long when he heard from behind him "Hello there, Mr. Kovich." Turning around he saw Jesse from last night.  
  
"Well, hello. Would you care to join me for that cup of coffee now?" he asked.  
  
"I guess I can take a slightly longer lunch break. I thought you were all done last night."  
  
"I forgot to get something for my niece," he said pulling out the blanket. "It has a special meaning to our family, and I thought she'd like it later on."  
  
"Oh, that's so sweet. I can tell you are a very caring man."  
  
He started to blush. He then wondered when the last time he had actually blushed. "Thanks."  
  
"So, tell me about yourself. First, what are your children's names?"  
  
"There's Angel, she's 7 now, and then Eddie, and he's 4. Here, I have a picture of them," he said, pulling out his wallet.  
  
"Oh, they are so adorable. They have the biggest blue eyes, I take it they aren't from you."  
  
"No, they aren't mine, that is for sure," he said, noticing Jack out of the corner of his eye. He thought he would keep walking, but it didn't take long for him to notice his brother-in-law sitting at the table with a red head.  
  
"Hey Rafe," he said noticing the attractive woman he was sitting with. "And who is this?"  
  
"This is Jesse. Jesse Locke." When the word Locke came out of his mouth he could tell Jack's mind went to the same place his had the night before. "No, she's not related to Livvie, I already asked."  
  
"Are we still on for our play date today?" he said, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
"Angel's expecting it, you better run if you aren't there."  
  
"I'll see you around," Jack said, smiling because maybe Rafe had finally found someone.  
  
"Play date? Aren't you a little too old for play dates?" Jesse asked, curious now as to whom this fine looking man in front of her was.  
  
"When Angel was born Jack and my late wife took her to the park every Wednesday after her nap. Jack and another friend, Jamal, made a promise to her that they would continue the play dates."  
  
"Oh, that's so sweet. You are lucky to have a lot of friends around to help with the kids. I'm new to the town, moved in a few weeks ago."  
  
"I was thinking I hadn't seen you around before. So where is it you are staying?" He couldn't believe those words just came out of his mouth.  
  
"I'm staying with a family friend. Maybe you know him, Kevin Collins." Rafe looked at her in disbelief. She didn't know it, but the chances of her related to Livvie just went up by seventy five percent.  
  
---------------  
  
"Daddy! Daddy!" was the first thing he heard as he walked into Lucy's house.  
  
"Hey there, you two. What did you do today? Did Jack and Jamal take you to the park?"  
  
"Yeah, we made snow angels and had a snow ball fight. Have you ever made snow angels, daddy?"  
  
"Actually, your mommy and I made some before. Its lots of fun, isn't it? Why don't you go get your stuff together so we can head back to the house?" He said, as they ran into the play room.  
  
"A little birdie told me you had lunch with a beautiful woman today," Lucy said, grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"That little birdie has a big mouth. Did he tell you what her last name is?"  
  
"He didn't tell me what her first name is."  
  
"Jesse Locke."  
  
"She's not related to Livvie, is she?"  
  
"She says she's not, but she's staying with a family friend-Kevin."  
  
"Oh my. Well, don't let that stop you from getting to know her better. Well, maybe only having one crazy side of the family will make her only slightly bizarre."  
  
"Haha. Very funny. I bet Alison is up there right now laughing her head off at the mess I've got myself into."  
  
"I'm sure she is," she giggled at the thought of him being related to Livvie again.  
  
"Ok, daddy. We're ready to go," Angel said, running in with a picture she'd drawn.  
  
"Give Lucy a hug bye, and tell her we'll see her on Christmas morning."  
  
"Bye my sweetie's," Lucy said, as she watched them get into the car. As she closed the door she said a little prayer that maybe, just maybe, Rafe would start to move on.  
  
-------------------------  
  
Alison walked into Ed's office and sat down. She usually just came in when he had called her, but this time she wanted to talk to him.  
  
"Hello, blondie. What's up?" he said, smiling at his daughter-in- law. He had told her when she first came up that if he had some way of keeping that crash from happening he would have. At first she seemed stubborn about not getting a free pass, but accepted that maybe one day in the future she would be given one.  
  
"I know I asked you to get Rafe set up with someone, but did it really have to be a relative of Livvie's?" she asked.  
  
"I just put in the request. I didn't make any requirements as to who he should and who he shouldn't run into while out shopping. Besides, we have to just have a little faith, remember?"  
  
"I know, well I'll let you get back to work. Oh, thanks for letting me send down that blanket for Maxie. Merry Christmas, Ed."  
  
"You're welcome on the blanket. Merry Christmas, blondie." 


	5. Merry Christmas to all

Disclaimer: I do not believe I own any characters in this story other than Angel, Eddie, and Jesse, which are my own creation. The other characters are property of ABC/Disney.  
  
He was just starting to wake up when all of a sudden he felt two jumps onto the bed. He opened his eyes to see Angel and Eddie sitting at the edge.  
  
"Santa came! Santa came!" they yelled, eager to get their dad to go in and see what had been brought.  
  
"Ok, let's get up and see what all you got," he smiled, getting out of the covers. He loved this time of year, getting to see the kids excited about presents. As the kids picked out the first present to open, he took a step outside. There was fresh snow on the ground. He looked up to the sky and thought, "Merry Christmas, Dad. Merry Christmas, Alison. Wish you two could be down here to share it with us." He had somehow started that tradition the first Christmas after Alison died, as a way to celebrate it with her.  
  
He walked back inside, eager to see what the kids thought of what all Santa had brought them the night before.  
  
------------  
  
"Knock knock," Rafe said, opening Lucy's front door with his hands full of presents. "Anyone home?"  
  
"Hey there cousin. Come in out of the cold. How has your Christmas been so far?"  
  
"It's been good so far. The kids enjoyed all the presents Santa brought them. Is everyone here yet?" he asked, as the kids ran past them.  
  
"Elizabeth just called and is on her way. Jack, Reese, and Jamal should be here any second. Kevin has Christina for another hour, so I figured we can sit around for awhile until she gets here to open presents."  
  
"Did someone say our name?" Reese laughed, walking in. She walked over and gave Rafe a hug, "Merry Christmas, Rafe."  
  
"Merry Christmas, Reese." Behind Reese wobbled in Maxie. "Look at you, you are getting to be so big." He said, leaning over and picking up his niece.  
  
"Hey man," said Jack, carrying the presents in. "Anything new with that red head I saw you with the other day?"  
  
"No, I haven't talked to her since. I did find out who she is staying with though."  
  
"Who's that?" he asked while setting the presents down under the tree.  
  
"Kevin. I'm going to take a guess that she is, after all, a relative of Livvie's."  
  
"Does that mean you aren't interested?"  
  
"I never said I was interested, but I'll get to know her a little better before I pass judgment."  
  
They all sat down, and talked for awhile. Eventually they heard a car pull up, guessing that it was Kevin dropping off Christina. "Kids! Christina's here, come in so we can open up presents," yelled Lucy as she opened the door. Expecting Kevin, she was surprised when she saw a redhead at the door.  
  
"Hi, I'm Jesse. Jesse Locke. I'm a family friend of Kevin's. He wanted me to drop off Christina."  
  
"Well, come in," Lucy said, turning her head and giving Rafe a look as if asking if this was the same girl. Rafe covered his face and started to grin. "We were just waiting for Christina to get here so we could open the presents. This is my husband Ian, Elizabeth Barrington, Jack and Reese Ramsey, Jamal Woods, and I believe you've met Rafe."  
  
"Hi again," Rafe said, expecting to be completely and totally embarrassed in a few minutes. He could already feel a slight redness in his cheeks.  
  
"Hello, I didn't know you were a friend of Kevin's ex-wife."  
  
"Yes, Lucy's my cousin."  
  
"Oh, well I better get back to Kevin's place. Hope to see you again Rafe," she said heading out the door. Once the door closed Rafe took a deep sigh of relief.  
  
"Rafe, why didn't you ask her to stay?" said Jamal, egging him on.  
  
"Uhm, well," he said, scratching his head. "Kids, if you don't get in here soon I'm going to take all your presents," he yelled, trying to change the subject and fast.  
  
"Awww. I believe Rafe might just have a girlfriend before too long," laughed Reese.  
  
The subject of Jesse was not brought up for the rest of the time. They started passing out presents, when Rafe remembered Maxie's present. He got it and handed it to Reese. "Just think of it as a present from both Alison and me."  
  
She opened the package to see the beautiful pink blanket laying there in the box. Her eyes filled with tears, knowing that her sister had this same blanket picked out for Angel. "Oh Rafe, it's beautiful," she said, leaning over and giving him a hug and kiss on the cheek.  
  
Angel looked up from her presents to see the blanket, "I have one just like that."  
  
"Yes you do, and now Maxie has one too. It's a special gift from your mommy to her sister." Rafe smiled, "Merry Christmas everyone."  
  
----------------------  
  
Rafe sat on the park bench, watching the kids play in the snow. It was the day after Christmas, and they had another week and a half of vacation before school started up again. He hadn't noticed someone walking up to him, but looking up he saw Jesse.  
  
"Hello, Mr. Kovich. Out for a day in the park, I see."  
  
"Yeah, the kids wanted to come and play, so I decided to take the day off and join them. So what are you doing out on this cold winter day?"  
  
"I was just taking a walk. Sorry about yesterday at Lucy's. I'm sure you got some harassment after I left."  
  
"Nah, not too bad."  
  
"So, you never explained to me how you are friends with Kevin," he asked. It had been bothering him, thinking that she may be Livvie's sister.  
  
"Well, I was adopted when I was an infant. I found out recently that my biological mother was Rachel Locke. I didn't have a good relationship with my adopted parents, so when I found out my biological mother's name I had it changed."  
  
He realized she was Livvie's sister, but before he could say anything Angel ran up to them. "Daddy, can you do snow angels with me?"  
  
"Sure, sweetie," he said, watching those blue eyes dance like they Alison's did.  
  
Angel looked at Jesse, and then pulled her dad by the hand. Rafe looked back at her, and motioned he'd be right back.  
  
The more Jesse was around him, the more she realized how great a person he was. She thought this seemed silly considering she knew very little about him. What she had seen mainly was how much he loved his children. The other stuff she had learned about him was he had the brightest smile and his eyes seemed to be able to see inside your soul. She wondered what she could do in order to get to spend an evening alone with him in order to get to know him better.  
  
Rafe walked back over to the bench. He now had flakes of snow in his hair, but didn't seem to care at all. "Wow, that was fun," he laughed, brushing the snow out of his hair.  
  
"You surprise me every time I see you, Rafe Kovich," she said, hoping that maybe he would suggest dinner one night.  
  
"Yeah, that's me, full of surprises," he grinned. "I was thinking, how would you like to maybe go out for dinner one night next week. I'll have to see when one of my many babysitters can come by, but it shouldn't be a problem."  
  
She tried to hide her excitement, "Oh, that sounds nice. Let me know when, and I'll be there," she said, looking at her watch, "Oh, look at the time. I need to be somewhere soon. You have Kevin's number right? Just let me know."  
  
"Ok, I will. Take care," he said watching her walk off. He couldn't believe the words that came out of his mouth just then. It was almost like someone else had said them.  
  
----------------  
  
Rafe stared into the bedroom mirror. He was so nervous, and he had no idea why. He knew why, he just wasn't up for admitting it. This was going to be his first date since Alison had died. He heard the front door open and his name being called. "I'm in here Jack!" he yelled.  
  
"Hey man. Wow, you look sharp."  
  
"Thanks for the compliment, but right now I need something to calm my nerves."  
  
"Don't worry, everything is going to be fine. You just need to take a deep breath, and enjoy yourself."  
  
"You'd think I've never been on a date before. I guess this is different though, this is my first date since Alison. I'm sure she's up there right now laughing at me."  
  
"Probably. Just remember to breathe, I don't want to hear about you being taken to the hospital for lack of oxygen. What time is dinner at?"  
  
"Dinner is at 7:30. I need to go somewhere else first though," he said, finishing up. "How do I look? Do I look like a guy that hasn't been on a date with a female in two years?"  
  
"You look good. Knock her dead, Rafe."  
  
"Thanks, I'll be home no later than 10:30."  
  
------------------  
  
He opened the door, and took a step in. It was musty in here, but what did he expect. He hadn't been back to the barn in over 6 months. He walked over to where their name was carved on the beam.  
  
"Hey Alison. Are you and dad enjoying yourselves up there? Tell him he has a sick mind for setting me up with Livvie's SISTER! Anyways, I just thought I'd come over here before going to the date. I know you want me to be happy, and go on living. That's what tonight is all about, getting on with my life, right? One thing will not change though, and that is I will not forget you. If I don't visit here for awhile don't be upset. Ok, well I better go before I am late. Love you, Alison," he said closing the door. The nerves he had been talking to Jack were gone. It was as if just setting foot in that barn made them all vanish.  
  
------------------------  
  
He was about to go into the restaurant when he saw a street vendor selling flowers. He figured it would be a nice gesture of him to get her one. So, what should he get? A red rose? No, don't want to scare her away. How about white? No, that doesn't seem good either. He figured that he would stay way from pink, but then realized that the vendor was all out of pink ones. Yellow, that seemed perfect. Didn't yellow signify friendship?  
  
He walked into the restaurant and she was already seated. Was he late? Looking down at his watch he saw that he was on time. She must have just gone and got a table early. "Hope you haven't been waiting too long," he said with a smile.  
  
"No, I just got here. I wasn't sure how busy this place gets, so I decided to get a table while there was one available. Is that for me?" she asked, eyeing the yellow rose in his hand.  
  
"Oh yes, I almost forgot. I didn't know what color you liked, so I figured yellow would do," he said, feeling the nervousness coming over him again.  
  
"Actually, my favorite flowers are yellow roses. You did very well tonight, Rafe," she said smiling.  
  
He hadn't noticed her smile before. It reminded him of Livvie's slightly. The only thing different though was it was more sincere than her sister's.  
  
"So, has Kevin explained to you who Livvie is?"  
  
"He said I was related to her. Which I guess means I lied when I told you I wasn't before."  
  
"It's ok, you didn't know. In this town I wouldn't admit I was related to her either. Anyways, I guess I'll tell you. Livvie's mother is Rachel Locke, the same person as your biological mother."  
  
"So we're sisters," she said. "Other than your cousin being her ex- stepmother, how else do you two know each other?"  
  
"Well, it's a very long story. So I'll sum it up in a short brief statement. I lost my memory, and Livvie tricked me into thinking I was in love with her. We married, I realized I had no feelings for her, and then went back to Alison-my late wife."  
  
"I'll have to ask for the full version of that story another night. Tell me about Alison, if that's ok with you."  
  
He let out a small sigh, and smiled. "Well, if you honestly want to know. Part of this story will have to be told later also, I'll let you know that now. Alison was, at one time, Livvie's best friend. Things happened to Livvie though, and she changed. Back to Alison, well she had blue eyes, as you've noticed from the kids. Her hair was the same color as Eddie's is now. She was stubborn, and selfless, and willing to help the smallest creature. We were married 6 years when she passed, she was in a car crash. This may sound silly, but I truly know she wants me to be happy with my life. Let's put it this way, I was given a second chance at life. Alison put everything she had aside to make sure I live my second chance to the fullest."  
  
"Well, I'd like to make a toast," she said smiling. "Here's to Alison, for giving you two beautiful children to spend your second chance with."  
  
"I'll toast to that," he said, smiling. He realized she was honestly interested in hearing about Alison just then. The only thing above that that mattered was her being able to get along with the kids.  
  
------------------  
  
He pulled into the driveway at 11 pm. He couldn't believe how refreshed he felt. Him and Jesse had a great dinner, and then walked in the park before heading back to the cars. He figured he'd call her sometime tomorrow, and see when they could meet again. Walking in the house he saw Jack sprawled out on the couch asleep.  
  
"Hey man, wake up," he said, pushing Jack's feet off the couch.  
  
"Hey. So how was the date? Did you finally relax?"  
  
"Let me say it ranks up as number one in the dates I've been on in the past two years."  
  
Jack just looked at Rafe and laughed, "Well, that's a given, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, but it was really good. I enjoyed myself, and told her that Livvie was her sister. She even asked me to tell her about Alison. I could tell when I finished she had really been interested in finding out about her."  
  
"Did you tell her about the vampires and such?"  
  
"No, I figured that finding out Livvie is your sister is enough horror for one night."  
  
"Yeah, really," Jack said, heading to the door. "Hey, I want you to know that whatever happens, I'll be happy as long as you're happy."  
  
"Thanks, Goodnight." 


	6. Close to your heart

Disclaimer: I do not believe I own any characters in this story other than Angel, Eddie, and Jesse, which are my own creation. The other characters are property of ABC/Disney.  
  
"So, explain to me again why you won't tell me what you're getting Angel for her birthday?" he asked Jesse while sitting in the Recovery Room. It was mid January, and they had met for their lunch hour. He had realized very early on he enjoyed her company, and that she loved spending time with the kids. If something came up and Jesse didn't stop by for a day or two Angel would start asking him where she was.  
  
"Because, it's a surprise. I want you and her both to be surprised," she said, guessing that he was really bad at surprises.  
  
"Well, fine then. Do you really have to go on that business trip in a few weeks though?"  
  
"Yes, it will only be a week though. I'll be back before you know it. Who knows, you might even realize you don't like spending so much time with me."  
  
"I doubt that will happen."  
  
Looking down at her watch she realized she needed to get back to work. "How come time seems to fly by when we're together?" she asked, getting up and straightening her skirt out.  
  
"I'm not sure," he smiled as he gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek. "So, you'll come by tomorrow afternoon, and we'll head over to Lucy's together for the party?"  
  
"Yes, I'll see you then," she said, flashing her smile at him as the door closed behind her.  
  
He sat back down, and finished his sandwich. He started to think of what he needed to get for Angel's birthday. Reese was making the cake, Lucy had the decorations at the house. He was going to pick up some pink roses from the florist today after work. Angel loved pink roses, he'd give them to her with her breakfast in the morning. He paid the bill, and headed off to work, still curious as to what Jesse had planned for tomorrow.  
  
----------  
  
Jesse pulled into the driveway, and picked up the small box next to her. She was worried that Angel wouldn't like the present, or Rafe would be upset at what she'd done. She had gone to Lucy last week and got help with it. It was too late now to get something different. She walked up to the door, and knocked before opening.  
  
"Hello, anyone home?" she asked, not hearing the usual commotion when she came over.  
  
"Jesse!" Angel yelled in excitement, as she ran over and got a hug.  
  
"Hey birthday girl! How has your day been so far?"  
  
"It's been great. Daddy got me pink roses, and had them at my seat in the kitchen. I got my favorite breakfast too! At school my class had cupcakes for my birthday. I'm all ready to go now."  
  
"Ok, well let's see where your daddy and Eddie are first," she said, walking down the hallway. "Rafe? Rafe?"  
  
"Hey Jesse. I'm just finishing getting ready. How was your day?" he asked, smiling as he looked at her from the bathroom  
  
"It was good, work went by pretty fast," she said, sitting down on Rafe's bed. She was still worried about the present she held in her hand.  
  
"Ok, I'm all done. Are you going to give that to Angel now, or wait?" he said, noticing the present she held.  
  
"I'll give it to her now, if you want."  
  
"Angel, come in here. Jesse has a present for you."  
  
Angel came running in and jumped on the bed. Jesse handed the present to her. "I hope you like it."  
  
She opened the paper to find a small box inside. Opening it up she saw a small silver heart shaped locket. When she opened the locket she saw there were already pictures inside it. The one on the right was Rafe, the one on the left was Alison.  
  
"I love it. Thank you Jesse!" she said giving a huge hug from behind her.  
  
Jesse noticed that Rafe hadn't said anything. Worried that he didn't like it she looked over. Instead of a look of being upset at what she'd done she saw his eyes were filled with tears.  
  
"Are you ok? What's wrong?" she asked, scared she'd done something wrong.  
  
"It's just, that you are so caring. I would have never thought of that. I'm just so glad that I've found someone like you that cares for my kids and myself, including my past," he said, trying to keep from crying. He didn't know how it happened, but he leaned over and kissed her on the lips.  
  
"Daddy, can you put it on for me?" Angel asked, jumping off the bed and coming around to where he was.  
  
"Sure, sweetie," he said, he was kind of glad that moment had been interrupted. "Why don't you go show Eddie, and see if he's ready to go?" he said as she ran out of the room. "Thanks again, that was too much."  
  
"You're welcome. I was worried you would be mad at me for doing that."  
  
"No, it was a really nice gesture. Can I ask who helped you with the pictures?"  
  
"It was a little birdie," she said, smiling at him.  
  
"I'm going to take it that this birdie's name probably starts with an L, am I right?"  
  
She didn't get a chance to respond when Angel and Eddie bounced into the room and together said "We're ready!"  
  
"Alright, let's go then," Rafe said, getting off the bed. At first she thought he was about to walk out the room, but he turned around and put out his hand. She grabbed it tightly, afraid of what may happen if she were to let go.  
  
-----------  
  
"Hey you two," Lucy said as she watched Rafe and Jesse come through the door, giving them each a big hug. "Did you forget some people?" she asked, not seeing Eddie and Angel brining up the rear.  
  
"They should be behind us," Jesse said, looking back at the door.  
  
"Hello!" shouted Angel, running up and giving Lucy a hug. Eddie walked in a few second after she did.  
  
"Happy Birthday Angel! Lucy said, squatting down and noticing the locket. "That's a pretty necklace you're wearing. Is there anything inside?"  
  
"Yeah," she said, opening it up. "It's a picture of my daddy, and my mommy. Jesse gave it to me before we came over."  
  
Lucy looked up and smiled at Jesse, and then looked over and smiled at Rafe. Her eyes were already tearing up, even though she helped Jesse find pictures for the locket.  
  
"Hey, come here," Rafe said, taking Lucy in his arms. "Thanks for helping her plan the necklace, and I guess I better be thanking someone else up there too, huh?"  
  
"You better," she said, whipping the tears from her eyes. "Well, who's ready for a party now?"  
  
"I am!" said Angel, excited and already filled up with sugar from school.  
  
"Me too!" said Eddie as he ran into the play room.  
  
"Were you surprised at the gift?" asked Lucy, having started to follow the kids into the playroom.  
  
"I was more than surprised. I had the same reaction as you, but you know what, I'm so glad that Jesse is in our lives now. She cares about the kids, I already knew that. What's more important though is she cares about our past." 


	7. It's All Relative

Disclaimer: I do not believe I own any characters in this story other than Angel, Eddie, and Jesse, which are my own creation. The other characters are property of ABC/Disney.  
  
He walked up to the large front door and knocked the heavy knocker. The door opened and a butler answered. "Are Caleb and Livvie in?" he asked, hoping they weren't.  
  
"Yes, please come in and I will get Master Morley," said the elderly butler. Rafe looked around, noticing how it hadn't changed much since he'd been here last. Jesse had been very adamant about meeting her sister. If it had been his choice he would have acted like she didn't exist.  
  
"Slayer," Caleb said, walking into the entry way.  
  
"Vampire," he said, with a sarcastic tone. He never understood why Caleb just couldn't call him by his name. "Is Livvie in?"  
  
"What's up first of all?"  
  
"Well, if you must know, I have a new woman in my life."  
  
"That's nice, but how does this relate to Olivia?"  
  
"I was getting to that, when did you become so pushy? Her name is Jesse, and she just found out that her mother was Rachel Locke. When I told her about Livvie, she insisted on meeting her sister."  
  
Caleb had a surprised look on his face. For someone who knew about Reese being Alison's sister before anyone else knew, he definitely didn't see this one coming. "Come in here and sit down. I'll go get Olivia," he said, motioning him into the study.  
  
He sat for a few minutes until Livvie came in. When she closed the door behind herself he figured Caleb wasn't going to come in and join him.  
  
"Caleb said you had something to tell me," she said, sitting down in a chair leaning towards Rafe with her hands clasped in front of her.  
  
"Yes, I do. I've started seeing someone, her name is Jesse. She's adopted, and recently found out her biological mother is Rachel Locke."  
  
Livvie's heart jumped, she couldn't believe this. She had a sister. "Where is she?"  
  
"She's at work right now, but she was very adamant about meeting you. You know, she has the same smile as you. Except of course hers is more sincere."  
  
She glared at him for that last comment. "Well, whenever she's ready to meet me bring her by. Did you tell her about me being a vampire?"  
  
"No, I figured she didn't need to know that. I'll bring her by tomorrow, is that ok?"  
  
"Sure, that's fine." As Rafe was about to walk out the door she spoke something that had been bothering her, "Hey Rafe."  
  
"Yeah?" he said, turning around wondering what it was now.  
  
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry about Alison. I wished we could have had a friendship again. I'm glad you found someone else though. Hey if you get married to her we'll be related again," she said smiling at the last part.  
  
"I think she wanted the friendship to have been rekindled some too. Oh well, it's too late to be regretting now. Yeah, I realized that I'll be related to you again, how's that for irony?" he said, walking out the door.  
  
---------------  
  
Caleb walked into the study and just started to laugh. Olivia was hurriedly running around the room cleaning up. When she heard his laughter she stopped and looked over at him.  
  
"What is so funny?" she said, not amused by him at the moment.  
  
"You," he said, walking over to where she stood.  
  
"What?" she said, getting out of his way and continuing her cleaning spree.  
  
"I've never seen you so--so active in cleaning," he said, as he continued following her around the room.  
  
"It's more than that, it's that I'm so scared she's not going to like me," she said, sitting down on the couch for a break.  
  
"I'm sure she is going to love you," he said, sitting down next to her.  
  
"I'm just glad that Rafe has given me this chance. That he didn't just act like he didn't know me when she brought up the name Livvie. You know, with all I put him and Alison through, he could have done that and I would have probably deserved it."  
  
"Over the years, I think he's mellowed out some, which believe me is a good thing," he said laughing, as Olivia jumped off the couch and restarted her cleaning frenzy.  
  
------------  
  
"This is where my sister lives?" asked Jesse, arching her neck back to see second floor of the Villa. "It's huge!"  
  
"Don't let the size intimidate you," laughed Rafe as he rang the bell.  
  
The butler opened the door, recognizing Rafe from yesterday he ushered them into the study. "Master Caleb and Olivia will be with you shortly," he said before closing the doors behind him.  
  
"Master Caleb? What is he, royalty?"  
  
"No, he just likes to think he is," he said, smiling at himself. He took her by the arms, and asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"  
  
"Yes, I have to Rafe. You wouldn't want to wonder about your sibling, would you?"  
  
He didn't get a chance to answer when the door answered. Caleb walked in, and held the door for Livvie. They walked up and Caleb took her hand and kissed it, "Hello, Jesse," he said. Rafe looked at him and rolled his eyes.  
  
He then turned his attention to Livvie. He had never seen her so nervous. She walked up and gave a short hug and a hello. Livvie and Jesse sat down on the couch, with Rafe and Caleb standing next to each other. They each gave a look, and then Caleb spoke up "Why don't Rafe and I go for a walk while you two get to know each other?"  
  
"Ok, love. We'll see you in a little bit," Livvie said, then looking back at her sister.  
  
"I'll be back soon," Rafe said, giving a kiss on the cheek and then walking out of the room.  
  
-----------  
  
"So where shall we walk to?" asked Caleb, willing to give the girls some time to get to know each other.  
  
"I guess we can go walk outside," Rafe said and then following him out the front door.  
  
They were walking around quietly when Caleb started to speak, "Thanks for letting Olivia meet Jesse. She's been both excited and nervous all day about meeting her."  
  
"I could tell she was nervous when she walked in the room," he said, walking with his hands and his pockets and his head down, except to look up when they were talking.  
  
"Do you know that she went to Alison's grave after everyone else left the funeral?"  
  
"No, I didn't."  
  
"Yeah, she didn't even tell me. She wanted to try and make peace with Alison many times, but felt like you would see it as a way for us to get something out of it."  
  
"Honestly we probably would have. But you know you have to have no regrets when you get to heaven or else it will eat you alive, or dead as the case would be."  
  
"How do the kids and Jesse get along?"  
  
"They love her to death. Angel really enjoys having her around. If Jesse can't come by for a few days Angel starts bugging me about where she is."  
  
"Can you see yourself with her for life?"  
  
"If you're asking can I replace Alison with her, the answer is no way. Do I enjoy her company? Yes, immensely. I found myself the other day realizing how much I enjoy having her in my life. She surprises me in ways I don't expect her to," he said, realizing he was babbling.  
  
"That's good," Caleb said, noticing the moon above. "I guess we should be going in and seeing how they are doing."  
  
-----------------  
  
They could hear laughter from the other side of the door. When they walked in they could tell the two girls were enjoying themselves.  
  
"You two are back already?" Olivia asked, her eyes sparkling with happiness.  
  
"We can go away if you want," said Caleb, glad to know that Olivia was enjoying her sister.  
  
"Actually, I should be getting home. I'm leaving in a few days for a week long business meeting, and need to pack," Jesse said, noticing Rafe's eyes had this look to them.  
  
The girls got up from the couch and gave a big hug. Livvie walked over and gave Rafe a hug, whispering in his ear "Thank you so much, Rafe."  
  
She looked back at Jesse then, "You should come over when you get back. We can have dinner together, the four of us. If that's ok with Rafe."  
  
"Fine by me," he smiled, glad to know Jesse was happy. He looked at Caleb and they both nodded, understanding each other without words. He then took Jesse by the hand and walked out.  
  
As they were getting to the car she looked at him and asked, "You and Caleb don't get along very well, do you?"  
  
"We have an understanding. He doesn't bother me, and I don't bother him."  
  
"Why's that?"  
  
"It's a long story." 


	8. You Can't Ever Stop Loving

Disclaimer: I do not believe I own any characters in this story other than Angel, Eddie, and Jesse, which are my own creation. The other characters are property of ABC/Disney.  
  
Jesse walked into the house, expecting to be attacked soon by two little munchkins. Instead, she saw the lights had been dimmed down low and lit candles on the kitchen table. "Rafe?" she asked, not seeing him.  
  
"Oh hey, you're early," he said walking from the bedroom. He came over to where she was and pulled her close to him. Leaning in he gave her a kiss, and then took a slight sniff of her hair.  
  
"What's all this for? Where are the kids?"  
  
"This is for us, and the kids are over at Victor and Mary's for the evening," as he took her by the hand and led her to her seat at the kitchen table.  
  
"So the whole thing about the kids wanting to see me one more time before leaving in the morning was a lie?" she said, not upset that it was a lie.  
  
He looked at her with that smile, "Well, I wouldn't call it a lie."  
  
"Then what would you call it?" she asked, as he walked in from the kitchen with their plates.  
  
"It's not a lie because the kids did want to see you one more time, but Victor and Mary decided that all parents need some, uhm, personal time tonight," he said while sitting down in front of Jesse. "So, right now they have Angel, Eddie, Maxie, Christina, Danny, and Serena at their house for a slumber party."  
  
"I'm sure they will regret that in the morning."  
  
"Nah, they love being with the kids."  
  
"What do we have planned for after dinner?"  
  
"I was thinking we could watch a movie on the couch. How's that sound?"  
  
"Heavenly," she said, smiling at him. When she said that he got this look on his face like she just found an inside joke, but figured she wouldn't ask.  
  
When they had finished dinner, he took the plates to the kitchen. "Do you need any help in there?" she asked from the living room.  
  
"No, I'm just going to let them sit for now and clean up later," he said walking over and sitting on the couch.  
  
She curled up next to him, her head lying on his arm. He leaned over and started to kiss her. First it was just on the lips, but then he started kissing her neck slowly. They moved over so they were now lying on the couch next to each other. He continued down her neck, feeling her heartbeat through her blouse. He looked up at her, noticing how beautiful she was. Her brown eyes smiling back at him. She smiled at him and kissed him on the nose.  
  
He sat up, and taking her by the hand led her back to the bedroom. He laid her back onto the bed and continued to kiss her on the neck. He kept going further down until he got to her shoulder. He could hear her let out a soft moan as he slowly unbuttoned her shirt and started kissing her stomach. "Rafe," she asked softly, "are you sure you want to do this?", but forgot what she just asked as he continued to kiss her.  
  
Hours later he woke up under the covers. Looking over he saw Jesse had left, but saw a note on the pillow next to him. Turning on the bed side light he read it,  
  
Rafe,  
Thank you for the wonderful evening. I guess I was right when I said  
tonight sounded heavenly. I'll call you tomorrow when my plane gets  
into California. I'll miss you while I'm gone. Give the kids a kiss  
for me.  
  
Jesse  
  
He laid back down on the bed after turning out the light. He just sat there in the dark for a little bit, the events of the night replaying through his head. He felt something tonight he hadn't felt in awhile, the only problem was he wasn't sure if it was right to feel them.  
  
----------------------  
  
He was standing at the kitchen sink, cleaning up from dinner when the phone rang. "Hello, the Kovich household," he laughed as he said it.  
  
"When did you start answering the phone with that?" Jesse said, calling from her business meeting in California.  
  
"I have no clue, it just came out. How are the meetings?"  
  
"Boring, very boring. I wish I were home in Port Charles."  
  
"Me too. Hey, hold on and let me get Angel." There was silence on the phone for a few seconds and then she heard a quiet hello on the other end.  
  
"Hey girlfriend, how are you doing?"  
  
"Jesse! When are you coming back here?"  
  
"In a few days, ask your dad if he'll bring you when he picks me up."  
  
"Ok. Goodnight, Jesse."  
  
"Goodnight sweetie."  
  
"Ok, I'm back," said Rafe, being handed the phone as Angel went back to her room to read some more. "So, what do you want to do when you get back?"  
  
"Relax. Maybe all four of us can go on a picnic."  
  
"Do you mean the four of us as in us and the kids, or the four of us as in us and Caleb and Livvie?"  
  
"The four of us as in us and the kids."  
  
"Oh, ok. Just checking."  
  
"Well, I guess you better go tuck Angel and Eddie in to bed," she said, wishing she could be there with him. "Goodnight, Rafe."  
  
"Yeah, I better get going. Goodnight, Jesse." He was just about to hang up the phone and decided to say it, "Jesse?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm still here."  
  
"I miss you."  
  
"I miss you too, Rafe."  
  
He hung up the phone and walked into Eddie's room. He was sitting at his desk, drawing something. "Hey little man, what's that you're drawing?"  
  
"I don't know, just a picture. I was thinking of giving it to Jesse. Will she like it?"  
  
"I'm sure she will love it. Well, you better be getting ready for bed ok. I'll be back in fifteen minutes."  
  
He walked into Angel's room, she was already under the covers asleep, and the book she was reading lying on the floor next to the bed. He placed the book on her bookcase, and then went and leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  
  
When he walked back to Eddie's room he saw he'd already got in the bed. He went over and gave him a kiss, "Goodnight, little man."  
  
"Goodnight daddy, I love you."  
  
He smiled at his son, and walked to the bedroom.  
  
After doing his nightly ritual of getting ready for bed, he laid down and started thinking. What was the next step in his relationship with Jesse? He knew he cared for her a huge amount, and her being away got him realizing it more. He wasn't sure though that he actually loved her though. It wasn't that he didn't think he could love again, he was sure he could. It was that if he finally came to the realization that he did love Jesse that it would mean he was over Alison.  
  
He leaned over and picked up the phone, "Hey," he said to the caller on the other line, "I know it's late, but can you come over here? I need someone to talk to. Ok, I'll see you in a little bit," and he hung up the phone, lying back on the bed still wondering what to do.  
  
---------------------  
  
"Hey cousin, what's up?" Lucy asked, walking into the living room.  
  
"I realized something tonight, but I need someone to tell me it's ok," he said, sitting down on the couch.  
  
"What is that?" She said facing him, worried about what could it be.  
  
"I think I love Jesse."  
  
"That's great!"  
  
"No, it's not. If I finally admit that then I'm abandoning all my love for Alison."  
  
Lucy stared at him, and then grabbed him by the arm. She walked him to where Angel was sleeping, and then over to Eddie's room. As they went back into the living room she looked at him, "You can never abandon your love for Alison, and the reason is because of those two in there. They are what came of yours and Alison's love. So, as long as you continue to love those two with all of your heart, then you will continue to love Alison just as much."  
  
He smiled at her, knowing that every word she just said was the truth. "Thanks Luce," he said giving her a huge hug, "and thanks for coming over tonight."  
  
"It's ok, you know I'll always be there when you need me," she said, smiling and then heading out the door.  
  
He closed the door behind her, and smiled again. He was now certain on what the next step of their relationship was.  
  
-----------------  
  
"Do you see her? Do you see her yet?" Angel asked, jumping up and down trying to see between the people that were in front of her.  
  
"Not yet," he said, standing at the gate where Jesse's plane had just arrived. He thought to himself he might be more excited than Angel was. He hadn't considered the impact of Jesse being gone for a week. Each morning both Angel and Eddie would ask how many more days until they saw Jesse. Finally the passengers from the plane started coming through the gate, and he could see Jesse.  
  
"Jesse!" yelled Eddie, being held in his dad's arms he saw her before Angel could. Jesse could hear his voice over all the other noise and a smile came to her face. At first she didn't see Angel, but soon Angel was wrapped around her legs.  
  
"Hey there, girlfriend," she said, smiling and picking her up. She then walked over to where Rafe and Eddie were still standing.  
  
"Hey, little man," she said, giving Eddie a kiss. She looked at Rafe and how he had been continually smiling since she got off the plane. "Hello, Mr. Kovich," she said, giving him a hug. When she pulled back from the hug, he leaned over and gave her a kiss, "I missed you, Jesse."  
  
"I missed you too, Rafe," not sure where this was going to.  
  
"Me and the kids had a little talk at breakfast this morning," he said, nervous at what was about to come out of his mouth, "and we were wondering if you would be willing to help me raise them."  
  
"I'll always help with the kids, you know that."  
  
"No, I mean more than helping," he said, putting Eddie on the floor. "We want you to be in our family permanently," He opened a bag he had at his feet and saw it. Next to the ring box he had bought was a yellow rose. He said a silent thank you to who he knew it was from, and then pulled both the rose and the ring box out. "Jesse Locke, will you marry us?"  
  
Jesse was in complete shock. Angel, still in her arms, looked over and said, "Please Jesse." She kissed Angel on the forehead and with tears in her eyes, "Yes, I will."  
  
Rafe picked Eddie back up and the four of them hugged. Finally, Rafe broke the hug and looking at Jesse said, "Let's go home." 


End file.
